Web Desk – Page 1125 – Newswire Pakistan

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

University Leadership Meets Friends of LUMS in Karachi

Lahore, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):LUMS leadership including Shahid Hussain, Rector; Osman Khalid Waheed, Management Committee Member; Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor; Dr. Alnoor Bhimani, Honorary Dean, Suleman Dawood School of Business, and Nuzhat Kamran, Director Advancement visited Karachi on April 22, 2022.

The LUMS delegation visited Bank Al Habib’s leadership team, who shared their insight regarding ways to improve the quality of education in Pakistan and discussed areas of mutual collaboration. The delegation also visited the Atlas Group and met with their senior management who ensured their support for LUMS and its endeavours and talked about avenues of potential partnership.

An iftar was also held, attended by donors, alumni, and leaders from the Karachi business community. The guests were given an overview of the initiatives undertaken by LUMS. A strategy session was conducted to get industry input for the future needs of various sectors which will inform the University’s policy in the coming years.

Ms. Kamran addressed the gathering and highlighted the University’s ‘no-borders’ education agenda and cross disciplinary research. She also spoke about LUMS’ commitment to accessible education for bright and talented students, regardless of their financial means.

Dr. Ahmad stressed on the importance of constructive dialogue between industry and academia to remove gaps in human capital development and applied research. “We are here not only to thank you but to learn from you about the new business models, and the strategic way in which we should move forward given the changes taking place both locally as well as on a regional level,” he commented.

Adding to the importance of industry and academic collaborations, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Chairperson and Independent Director, Pakistan Stock Exchange commented, “Sustainable development holds tremendous interest to me. I have been working passionately on the issues of climate change and have developed a task force to look into the issues of Economic, Socio and Governance (ESG) and how to raise awareness in the corporate sector and financial systems to mainstream it within businesses. LUMS can play a key role here.”

Abbas Akberali, Chairman, Amreli Steels praised LUMS on the quality of its graduates. “LUMS is doing a wonderful job. The exposure of our students studying at colleges and Universities is very little with regards to the industry expectations. This results in students lacking the skills required by the industry.”

Mr. Hussain and Mr. Waheed expressed their gratitude to the alumni and donors for supporting LUMS in achieving its mission of providing world-class education to the youth of the country over the last 35 years. Mr. Hussain added, “Individuals from Karachi companies have made tremendous contributions to this institution. In 35 years, we reached a milestone in the number of students and programmes offered.

We have had the good fortune of receiving valuable advice from major education centres across the world and that has been possible due to the values, merit system, diversity, inclusion and financial support structure that is showcased here at LUMS.” The event concluded with guests networking over iftar and dinner.

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

CME on Management of Epilepsy in Primary Care and Primary Prevention of Stroke

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):PIMA Sargodha chapter arranged a CME on Management of Epilepsy in Primary Care and Primary Prevention of Stroke in collaboration with NARF Pakistan and Alkhidmat Health Foundation on 26th February 2022 at Sargodha. Lectures were delivered by Dr. Mohsin Bandial and Prof. Dr. Abdul Malik on the occasion. More than 120 doctors attended this academic activity. CME started with Dars e Quran by Scholar Fazal Elahi Awan, President PIMA Sargodha Division Dr. M. Imtiaz briefly give an introduction to PIMA and its activities. This academic activity was moderated by President PIMA Sargodha City Dr. Nasar Ranjha.

For more information, contact:
Media Coordinator,
Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA)
Central Secretariat, 12-Shalimar Centre, 2nd Floor,
F-8 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-2261943
Fax: +92-51-2857132
Cell: +92-332-5564935
Email: pima@dsl.net.pk, media.pima@gmail.com
Website: www.pima.org.pk

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

Quaidian Youth Summit at Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) Women Wing and students of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College Bahawalpur jointly organized a Quaidian Youth Summit in the college auditorium on 9th March 2022. Officials of the Youth Club, Taha Ibn Jalil and Raja Zafarul Haq were invited to deliver motivational talks. They urged the students to become leaders instead of followers and happiness cannot be achieved through money or status. The program started with the recitation from the Holy Quran followed by a brief introduction of PIMA. Dr. Munir Azhar (Professor of Medicine) was the chief guest of the summit. A stall of PIMA Publications was also set up on the occasion.

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

PIMA Women Wing Session in SOGP Conference

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):PIMA Women Wing organized a one-hour session on “Health and safety of HCPs” on the occasion of the 18th Biennial International Scientific Conference of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Pakistan (SOGP). The session took place in Karachi on 26th February 2022. Delegates in large numbers graced the occasion from all over the country. The session was moderated by Dr. Azra Jamil while Prof. Amtullah Zareen was the guest of honour. Prof Rahat Qureshi and Prof Raheel Sikander were the chairpersons.

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

Freedom of expression, other rights constricted in 2021

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):In its flagship annual report, State of Human Rights in 2021, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious reservations concerning freedom of expression in 2021. In at least nine cases, journalists were intimidated or silenced altogether, whether in the form of assault, enforced disappearance, murder or overt censorship. Additionally, the previous government will be remembered for attempting to impose the draconian Pakistan Media Development Authority Ordinance on the press. With this fundamental right in peril, all other rights too were increasingly constricted.

The state’s attempts to expand the scope of restrictions on freedom of expression under Article 19 of the Constitution have emboldened non-state actors to impose their whims – often violently on those who do not agree with them. The savage murders of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot by a lynch mob on allegations of blasphemy, and of human rights defender Nazim Jokhio allegedly by PPP lawmakers, are both cases in point.

The report observes that the near-absence of political consensus-building was reflected in the number of presidential ordinances issued by the previous federal government – a record 32 issued in 2021. As of end-December 2021, the long-awaited bill aimed at criminalising enforced disappearance as a separate, autonomous offence, had still not been passed. The highest number of enforced disappearances reported to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances in 2021 was in Balochistan, at 1,108.

Escalating religiosity remained cause for grave concern, given the implications for women and religious minorities. This was evident from the Council of Islamic Ideology’s objections to the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill 2020 and Prohibition of Forced Conversions Bill 2021. Yet, with 5,279 rapes and 478 honour killings registered in the country and the macabre murder of Noor Mukaddam in Islamabad, women’s rights activists rightly spoke of a ‘femicide emergency’ in Pakistan in 2021.

With the pool of jobless people swelling as companies downsized in 2021, the plight of workers and peasants deteriorated significantly, especially with a mere PKR 2,000 increase in the minimum wage in Punjab and the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the Sindh government’s move to increase the wage to PKR 25,000. While the previous government claimed that the Single National Curriculum would reduce educational disparities, it drew strong criticism from education experts and human rights defenders for its lack of inclusivity and poor pedagogy.

Both the National Commission for Human Rights and the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) were made functional and new chairpersons appointed, although regrettably, the NCSW appointment was marred by political controversy. There was a marked fall in the number of death sentences awarded, from at least 177 persons in 2020 to 125 in 2021. No executions were reported to have been carried out, while in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court commuted the sentences of three mentally disabled prisoners on death row.

The incumbent government must not make the mistake of taking human rights issues lightly during its tenure. It must commit to protecting freedom of expression and the rights of all vulnerable and excluded groups. At the same time, it must not make the mistake of acquiescing to far-right groups such as the TLP, which had no qualms about resorting to violence to further its ends in 2021, or of ignoring citizens’ voices – whether of people in Gwadar demanding a stake in the region’s economic development, or of tribespeople in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa calling for the state to uphold law and order in the face of increasing militancy.

For over 30 years, HRCP has been the only organisation to have consistently documented the country’s human rights situation, providing a unique barometer of human rights and democracy. We earnestly hope that, this time, the state will pay heed.

For more information, contact:
Chairperson,
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Aiwan-i-Jamhoor, 107-Tipu Block,
New Garden Town, Lahore-54600
Tel: +92-42-35864994
Fax: +92-42-35883582
Email: hrcp@hrcp-web.org
Website: www.hrcp-web.org

April 29, 2022April 30, 2022

Free medical camps at Poonch and Shakargarh

Islamabad, April 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):PIMA Poonch organized a free medical camp in collaboration with AKF at Singola Village Azad Kashmir. Five doctors examined more than 250 patients in the camp. Free Medications were also distributed. General Secretary PIMA AJK, Dr Usman, President Poonch Dr. Waqar and Dr Amir Alam were available for patient checkups and management at the venue. DC Poonch Mumtaz Kazmi also paid a visit to the camp and appreciated the efforts of PIMA and AKF.

Another free medical camp was organized by PIMA Shakargarh in collaboration with Ghazali School at village Ikhlaspur, tehsil Shakargarh, Narowal on 27th March. Three Doctors including an eye specialist and consultant child specialist along with a GP and two paramedics examined and advised more than 400 patients at the camp. Free Medications were also distributed. Two associate members were also involved in the activity.